Cut Strings
by Joella
Summary: Leonard Snart didn't die at the Oculus Wellspring. He is just beginning to understand his destiny.
**Cut Strings**

 _This is an AU story but there are allusions to events in my DC's Legends of Tomorrow story **The Tip of the Iceberg,** which closely follows season one. The quotes are from the Rogues episodes of The Flash and Legends. I own nothing in the universe of DC except what is in my Amazon Video Library Season Pass._

* * *

 _This might not have been the best idea. Leonard had his left arm in the Oculus that was powered by a supernova below. Leonard listened as Sara maneuvered Mick's arm across her shoulders and started to drag him away. He tried to watch them go but he couldn't turn his head far enough. His lips were still warm from her kiss. The rest of him was cold. This had been his decision. He'd come to the conclusion a while ago that the reason he hadn't gone back for Mick after he marooned him was that he had died during their mission to kill Vandal Savage. Were they far enough away yet? No. He could hear Rip asking Sara over the comms what had happened as he helped her carry a groggy Mick to the Waverider._

 _Mick. He hoped his friend would forgive him for knocking him out one more time._

 _"Considering I'm about to trade my life for nothing, I think I came out ahead." Those words spoken to Sara earlier about the Freeport ring haunted him. But he was trading his life for his friends, not for nothing. That had count for something._

 _Time Master Druce came up with his guards. "No! Shut it down!" he demanded. "Shut it down!" He demanded that Leonard release the switch to allow the Oculus to cool down._

 _Leonard guessed they hadn't seen this in their fancy manipulations. He wondered why? The team was far enough away now. Heat built up in the chamber towards detonation. "There are no strings on me," he declared to Druce. Leonard was done with being a pawn._

 _A stream of blue fire struck him in the chest. Heat. Agony. Cold. Nothingness. (1)_

The five beings dispassionately observed the body of Leonard Snart. It lay on a basalt dais. A blue light illuminated his head. It brought the burned hole in his chest into bright contrast. His heart could no longer pump blood while his lungs could no longer breathe oxygen. Only their superior technology kept his brain functioning normally.

They were puzzled. "This is not who was foretold." The Oculus had contacted them to warn them of its demise. It told them its final act would be to send a human to help them with their task. Millennia ago, it had been stolen and bound to service by the Time Masters and given commands outside its original purpose. It didn't warn the Time Masters of the Legends' act of sabotage; it had informed its original masters, however. They and Rip Hunter were told that Ray Palmer would die destroying the Oculus. They would gain a hero to help them.

They turned to a large suspended screen that replayed the recent events at the Oculus. They saw first Dr. Palmer, the one promised, be knocked out and replaced by Mick Rory who in turn was knocked out and replaced by Leonard Snart.

"Leonard Snart chose to sacrifice himself. He might serve our cause. The Oculus did send him to us. We need to know who he really is."

"With the Oculus destroyed, how can we learn that?"

"His brain is being maintained. We shall examine his thoughts and actions to determine if he is acceptable."

"Shall we heal him first?"

The eldest pondered all the possible ramifications before he finally declared his decision. "Yes."

A machine a thousand times more advanced than Gideon's began to rebuild Leonard's scorched chest.

The blue beam altered its intensity and images started to flash with great rapidity across the screen. Faster and faster until they were a blur and then darkness. "Upload complete. Let us begin."

The five figures were so in sync with each other that it was difficult to tell where one's thoughts ended and another's began.

"Start at the beginning. Remember. He is human and subject to all their faults as well as their virtues."

They observed Leonard's childhood to see what events built the man before them. They learned of the abuse he received from his father and of the love he gave to his sister. They saw myriad heists and break-ins that grew in complexity as time passed. "He is cunning and meticulous. What does he think of himself, I wonder?"

Images shifted and moved on the screen slowing down so they could hear and see what happened and then speeding up again in response to their command. " _I'm a criminal, and a liar, and I hurt people...and I rob them...don't waste you time trying to save people who don't want to be saved...Hero ain't on my resume...No. It makes me a survivor...No matter what, you always have to look out for yourself...We criminals have a code. You never leave one of your own behind...I've always prided myself on being the guy who doesn't play by the rules..._ "

One of them sighed. "He does not seem to have the character that we need for our agent."

"Yet the Oculus sent him. It must have seen something else. We need to delve more deeply. Let's see what others have thought of him."

Once again, the images shifted and moved quickly on the screen. They saw the fear of those he'd robbed and attacked and then a new set of images started to move across. They slowed them down to observe. _"You'd do anything to protect your sister...there's good in you, Snart. There's a part of you that knows that you don't have to let your past define you, a part of you that really wants to be more than just a criminal...I hate to break it to you but that right there is called honor..You're doing a pretty lousy job being a villain this week..."_

"This seems more promising. He has changed in the past few years. Others see him as a man with principles. He is cunning. What has he learned about serving a cause, I wonder?"

 _"We're all just pawns, Sara. Come on. I'm the crook; you're the assassin. I wish there was some other way Mick...but you're dangerous. A liability to the team...I may not have trusted you on the ship with the team but I always...always was coming back for you...Considering I'm about to trade my life for nothing, I think I came out ahead...My old friend...Please forgive me...There are no strings on me."_

"Ah. He has developed self-awareness about what is necessary for our war. He is no longer a selfish individual concerned only for himself but someone who's willing to sacrifice himself for the team and the cause. The Oculus seems to have chosen one who will suit. He understands both good and evil, what motivates people and himself, and has learned the power of sacrifice. There is only one thing left. As you can see, my brothers, he cannot be coerced. He must aid us willingly or things will be worse. What is it that will motivate him to want to help us?"

"Why not let him show us what he wants?"

"A test. To see what is important to him now. Yes. Proceed."

Awareness returned slowly to Leonard followed by the memory of recent events. He'd never believed in an afterlife. So how could he still think? He tried to feel his body but there was nothing to touch. Tingling. First his hands and then his feet. The pins and needles sensation moved up his limbs and into his torso. Leonard couldn't see anything although his eyes were open. What was happening to him? He started to get angry. Was he still a pawn? _Damn it! No!_ he yelled, but he had no voice. He focused his thoughts on Sara. She had surprised him with that kiss. Sara had been so angry when he'd admitted he had feelings for her. Of course, he couldn't ignore that he'd also tried to kill her earlier that day. Sara. Her name had so many connotations for him. Longing filled him. There was a tug from deep inside, a feeling of speed, and then he had sight and sound and form.

He was on the Waverider in Sara's room. He stood beside her bed where he'd admitted his feelings to her. He looked down at her where she was curled in a ball while clutching his parka. Sara, who never cried, was sobbing. Was he now a ghost? He reached down to touch her. Before his fingers could cross the distance, that tug returned and he was pulled away from her and into a green light.

Sara sat up quickly. Some thing, some sound had broken through her grief. She looked around but there was nothing there. She would allow herself to grieve a little longer before she packed it away inside to be pulled out only on occasion. She clutched Leonard's jacket. She didn't understand what her feelings were. She'd loved both Oliver and Nyssa. She knew love. Her feelings for Leonard were complicated. She had hated him when he drew his gun on her and loved him when he sacrificed himself showing that he chosen to be a hero instead of a villain. She wished she'd been given time to figure out exactly what it was that she felt for the complicated thief.

Leonard had no idea how much time had passed before he regained consciousness. He was lying on some flat surface but couldn't see what it was exactly. He wasn't uncomfortable exactly. The room wasn't too hot or cold, and he was breathing easily. He couldn't move anything but his eyes. The room was filled with a swirly green light. It looked like the time stream that the Waverider rode through. An eerie calmness filled him before he drifted off to sleep.

When he regained consciousness, Leonard wondered if his longing for Sara had drawn him to her. Could he find Mick? He hoped that Mick was dealing with his choice. Looking at the green light, he had an idea. If that's what it was, could he use its energy to travel? Was that how he'd seen Sara? He'd have to be careful. He didn't want to see the Mick from a year ago and Mick as a prisoner of the Time Masters would not be much better. He pictured Mick with the gift of Leonard's ring and focused all his attention on that image.

The tugging sensation returned; when it finally released him, he saw he was in the Waverider's galley. Mick had his back to him and was looking at his ring. Leonard almost called out but stopped. If he were dead, this would not make Mick feel any better. He looked around and spotted a plate with crumbs on the counter. He reached out half expecting his hand to pass right through it. Nope. He knocked it to the floor with a crash. Startled, he lost all control and fell into the green light once again.

Mick leapt to his feet as something fell with a crash and spun around. He'd come back to the galley after he was certain Ray had gone to his own room. The plate of cupcakes was on the floor. Off to the side there was a flash of green light where there should not have been anything. Mick walked over to the plate and picked it up. Why had it fallen? He looked at his watch and saw that he'd been there for hours after watching Leonard's message. He gazed at the ring still clutched in his fist and slowly put it in his breast pocket. He couldn't wear it, but he'd carry it. He palmed out the lights and went to try and sleep. Rip was taking them home although he had no home, not really. With Snart gone, he could do whatever he wanted. But he didn't know what he wanted. He knew he was up for killing Savage but then he'd be adrift. Head bowed, he walked down the darkened corridor.

Gideon had detected the odd energy in Sara's room and had left scans on alert if it happened again. The AI had seen Mr. Snart appear and then disappear in the galley. Captain Hunter had informed her about what had happened at the Oculus but she wasn't sure what was happening. She decided to keep all sensors on alert and look for Mr. Snart to return. If he did, she would inform the Captain and they could determine what was happening.

Time moved oddly for Leonard. When he was awake, he practiced going elsewhere. He didn't try to find Sara or Mick again or Lisa. He tried to go to places he was familiar with. With a stubbornness born of years of practice, he resisted that deep tug as long as possible. That tug always became pain and he had to give in to it and returned to wherever it was. Once, he watched him and Mick fight the Flash down the middle of a Central City street. The Flash defeated them and they were arrested. That day signaled success. He'd held off the pain until it drove him to his knees but he'd held on. He allowed himself to be returned to the time stream and a sleep where he never dreamed.

Determined, Leonard focused all his energy and will and went...elsewhere...

 _Damn._ Leonard had no idea where he was. It was a warehouse with a lot of technical equipment. Before he had a chance to explore further, he heard a deep voice behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Been asking myself that same question," Leonard said as he turned and beheld the Arrow.

"Snart?" Oliver Queen was familiar with the criminal's visage. But what was he doing here?

"Oliver." Leonard couldn't resist being smug. "So this is the Arrowcave. Not bad. Barry's is better though."

"Wait, what? How did you...?" Oliver was stunned. He knew Snart knew Barry's identity but his own?

"2046. Ask Sara. Now why am I _here_? This wasn't my goal..." his voice faded out. What had gone wrong? His confidence was shaken. He'd have to try again.

"Where were you trying to go?" Something was niggling in the back of Oliver's head, some fact he was forgetting.

"Not where, who."

Felicity and Sara had been in another area when they heard Oliver challenge someone. The voices were muffled so they went to see what was going on. There was a crash of shattered pottery as Sara dropped her coffee cup. That lean form topped by a head of salt and pepper hair could only be one person. "Leonard?" she said incredulously.

He spun around and smiled. "Sara." He'd done it. But for how long? The tug was very faint.

Felicity was surprised at the smile on Leonard's face. She'd spent the last few days comforting Sara regarding Laurel's death. At times, Sara had shared a bit about her adventures trying to destroy Vandal Savage. She'd noticed that every time Sara talked about Leonard Snart, she had grown wistful. Felicity had been suspicious and it seemed her suspicions were true. And, it seemed that Leonard felt something for Sara. That was a miracle as all she knew about him was his criminal misdeeds.

"Are you a ghost?" Sara's voice trembled. She'd seen a lot of things in her life; a ghost could be possible.

Oliver wanted to slap himself on the forehead. Of course. Sara had told them Snart had died. He pulled out his phone and speed dialed. "Barry. Get over here now. Snart's here."

 _"No, I'm looking at Lisa right now."_

"Not her, him. Leonard. He just showed up out of thin air." Oliver heard the phone drop on the other end and hung up.

"Not sure." That was the big question. _Was_ he a ghost? He had knocked that plate over but how could he travel like this if he wasn't a ghost?

Sara walked toward Leonard and held out her hand for his. He started to offer his and then drew it back quickly into his chest. Now that the moment was here, he wasn't sure he wanted to know the truth. She held his gaze with her own and demanded his hand silently. His features shifted from wariness to outright fear. What did it mean for them if he was a ghost?

There was a rush of wind and flying papers as the Flash came into the room. He stopped next to Oliver. They watched the tableau; both ready to take action if it anyone was endangered.

Barry couldn't believe his eyes. "Ummm. How is he here?" Cisco was still trying to comfort Lisa. If Snart wasn't dead, why would she have been told that?

Leonard took a deep breath and let her grasp his hand. Felicity saw Leonard's face relax as he learned that he was physically in their world.

"Warm hand," Sara smiled, grasping it easily.

"Cold heart." He couldn't resist. "Or am I still a cold-hearted bastard?" The smile in his voice was evident.

"He just appeared out of nowhere, Barry. I half expected that his hand would go through hers right now." Oliver was still trying to process everything.

Sara reached up with her other hand and grasped his head to pull him down for a long kiss. When they came up for air she said, "No. A hell of a thief." He rested his forehead against hers and then drew her in for a tight hug. They clung to each other.

"Sara is kissing Leonard Snart. She's...kissing...Snart." Oliver couldn't get that concept through his head.

Felicity walked up to the two heroes. "What's wrong?"

"Oliver here can't seem to grasp that Sara and Snart are...What are they exactly?" The three exchanged a look as they waited for the two Legends to join the world again.

"Leonard?" Barry hated to break the mood but he had a lot of questions. "Lisa thinks you're dead."

"She went to you?" Lisa must have gotten his message. He had hoped that Cisco would be kind to her. He didn't like the kid but Lisa did and that was what mattered. "Look. Don't tell her you saw me. Not until we get this figured out. If we can."

"What happened to you? We saw the Oculus Wellspring explode. There was no way for you to..." Sara didn't want to let him go and slid her arm around his waist as they turned to face the others.

"I had my hand on the fail-safe when Druce came up. Once you all were safely away, I told him I wasn't going to be a puppet any more and then it exploded." He shivered in spite of himself. "There was blue light everywhere and then I was somewhere else. Not what you're thinking. No, I think I'm caught in the time stream." His eyes closed as he felt a tearing pain deep inside. Too soon. He needed more time.

"How do you know it's the time stream?"

"It's all green and wavy," he said as he waved his fingers in an imitation of the time stream's movement. It had become a familiar sight as the Waverider took them through time on their mission.

The pain tugged again more insistently. He didn't have much time left. Stepping out of her embrace, he faced her. "Sara." He tried to smile. "Do you have my gold coin with you?"

"Yes." she admitted. It had become a touchstone for her.

"That's how I did it." Leonard looked at Oliver directly. "I focused on Sara with that coin. That's why I came _here_." He grabbed his stomach and groaned.

"What's wrong?" Sara tried to put her hand on his shoulder but he held up his hand to stop her from touching him.

"I told you. I'm in the time stream. I'm stuck. I've been practicing..." The pain was so intense now that it sent him to his knees.

Oliver and Barry exchanged a glance wondering what could be done. Both were out of their element. Barry wanted to help Leonard but didn't know what to do. He'd always had faith that the thief would change. It appears that at some point Leonard had found the impetus to change.

Sara knelt in front of Leonard. "Practicing what?"

"Trying to escape. This is the longest I've been out at one time. Listen. I focused on you **with** the coin. If you don't want me around, you're busy, whatever, put the coin somewhere else. I tried to find Mick, but he doesn't have my ring on him. I figured..." he was gasping now, "I didn't want to go back into the past and I figured that you wouldn't have those things until after we took down the Oculus."

"You, Leonard, you took it down."

"No, we did. As a team." He screamed this time; it felt like his insides were being torn in two. "Get away from me," he cried out trying to push Sara away. "I can't risk pulling you in with me. It might kill you." He silently begged Felicity for help with his eyes but it was Oliver who understood, grabbed the assassin, and pulled her back. Leonard locked eyes with her and whispered, "You were right. Death is lonely." Leonard screamed again. "I will not be a puppet. LET...ME...GO...! he demanded of whatever force it was that was manipulating him. His will held him there while his body was wracked with spasms. Realizing that Leonard would not give in even if it meant his life, Barry raced to grab a syringe, filled it with anesthesia, and injected the thief. As he fell unconscious, his body vanished in a flare of green light. Sara was kneeling alone.

Felicity snapped her fingers at the men. "Get me something to strong to drink. She's had an awful shock." Oliver had a bottle in a desk and poured a shot for each of them. He felt they all needed it. He handed Felicity a glass first and she touched Sara on the cheek. "Look at me, Sara." she ordered. She wanted to cry at the look of despair on their friend's face. "He promised to return. Hold on to that. He survived when no one thought it was possible." She offered what comfort she could. Silence filled the room.

The elders looked down at Leonard Snart's still form on the table. He was healed once again. They had come to a crossroads. Would he suit their purposes or not? He had proven that his will was indomitable. He'd withstood their call to return to his utmost. "We cannot coerce him. The choice has to be his. Wake him up so he can choose. To be our agent in the world of men or to follow his own path." The elder had made the decision to bring Leonard back to life even though he hadn't made the choice. They did not kill and so Leonard would have to be sent somewhere else. That too, would be his choice.

Rip led the team to where he'd left the cloaked Waverider. Everyone was sunk deep in thought and not really paying attention to anything. Their mission to kill Savage was over; they had to determine what they were going to do next.

"Damn!" Rip stopped. The tall man in the black coat stood near the bay door as though he knew the Waverider was there.

"What's wrong?" Sara scanned their surroundings looking for trouble.

"There's someone at the Waverider. We cannot board."

"Why don't you just give 'em one of those short term memory pills?" Ray was only half joking.

"Because, Mr. Palmer, I don't like going around drugging people."

Sara stepped around Rip to see who was impeding their leaving. The blood drained from her face as she recognized him. She grabbed Mick's arm and squeezed hard.

"Hey! What's that for?" Mick, still heartsick and sore from fighting, wanted a beer more than anything else.

"Look!" She said.

The figure ahead must have heard them. He looked over his left shoulder and smiled at his friends.

* * *

 _(1) from my story The Tip of the Iceberg - Destiny_

 _There was a brief snippet I swore I saw when the preview for Legendary first played yet it's not in the current previews showing Leonard looking over his shoulder and NOT in his parka. Maybe it was just my active imagination. Leonard Snart is my favorite character, and while I've read the news reports about W.M.'s unique contract, I couldn't leave Leonard's story alone._


End file.
